Ionel Dumitru was born in 1915 in Romania. He received his musical education at the Military Music High School (1933-1937), and then at the Bucharest Conservatory (1937-1943). He was principal tuba of the Romanian Army Orchestra, of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic Orchestra of Bucharest (1943-1967), of the Romanian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and of the imperial Orchestra of the Teheran Opera (Iran). Known for his great virtuosity, his numerous concert tours have taken him to most of the major cities of the world. He taught tuba at the Musical High School of Bucharest from 1967 to 1972. Dumitru’s works for tuba include about thirty compositions, some pedagogical works, and over a hundred transcriptions. His musical activities have received special recognition with several national and international awards.